


Talisman of Men

by Bunshin



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Conspiracy, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, Zombie Apocalypse, fuck i don't know how to tag, no seriously this is going to take awhile
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24248851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunshin/pseuds/Bunshin
Summary: They're separated.One at a military base. One chilling at a mall. One bloody and thieving. One stuck in a lab.All with their own friends.How the hell are they gonna stop the zombie apocalypse?With guns. Obviously.
Relationships: Edd/Matt (Eddsworld), Eduardo/Jon (Eddsworld), Katya/Kim (Eddsworld), Mark/Tom (Eddsworld), Tom/Tord (Eddsworld)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 14





	Talisman of Men

_**Project T.O.M. Report one.** _

_We have taken in a young boy to experiment on due to his unnatural conditions. After wiping his memory, we got to work. With our technology, we_ _ĩ̷̦ȩ̴̓a̸̠͋l̶̮̓ ̷̰͑p̴̬̚ǹ̸̙o̸̩̚ ̶̺̚ê̶͉b̶̫͘ḅ̵͋ ̸͕̆r̶̤͊r̴̺͌e̴̳͋ḿ̵̤ē̴͓s̸͙͒c̵͕̋t̴̔͜ḏ̸̿ ̶͎̈w̸̬̽ ̷͕͠o̴̭̒u̶̟͌h̶͇̋i̴̪͆ď̵̝.̷͎̋h̷̞͛a̷̜̚t̵͙̍o̵͇͒t̷̢͆i̸̲͠s̷̫̊ḽ̵̊ ̸̨̏s̶̛̟h̴̬̾o̴̩̔t̸͙̉ ̶͔̔v̸̡̈́s̴͉̐s̸̺̔ ̷̮͒i̵̹͋ḿ̵͍t̷̟͐_ _. It went better than expected. Perhaps this whole thing will be easier than we thought. If he works,_ _s̶̢͂o̸̧̓ ̸͍̾o̴̩͒o̸̤̕ṱ̸̍r̵̘͑n̸̛̺r̵̮̚d̸̡͝ê̸̹e̸̖̾_ _̸̤̑_ _a̶̡͋h̴͚̾c̷̳͗.̸̜̿o̵̟͠ḩ̶̒i̴͎͐m̶͍̈́u̴̥͌e̷͖͌s̵͉̽ ̵̱͘ẗ̶̰́n̸̬͝u̷̹̔n̵͍͌w̴̟̓s̸̗̈́s̸̺̈́W̶̕ͅt̴̰̍n̸̓͜ ̶̨͊d̶̼̐w̶͇͊l̷̢̋i̵͙̎ö̶̤ḩ̴̕.̴̢̃ ̶͓͝ ̵̢̈́ẅ̴̹ ̷̭̌ǒ̸̩l̷͍̚ ̴̺̒a̷̞̽o̵̢̾a̷͓̔ ̴̻́r̷͙͒l̶̹̈́e̸̝̅h̴̨͠n̸͔͛n̸̝̂ ̵̬͂p̵ͅd̷̡̎ ̷̥̀r̸͚̈l̴̻̑e̴̘͠s̷̱͂f̷̛̦r̷̟̂v̴̮̓l̵̯͘e̶̥̅l̵͙̈́i̶̖̓k̵̐ͅ ̸̱͐m̸̰̔a̸͇̿d̷̢̿ĝ̶̗e̵̦͝ ̸͕̔e̶̝͑,̶̤̌e̸̘͐_ _._

_I'll continue in the next report. Thank you for your time._

_**Project T.O.M. Report seven.** _

_Something is off with the project. His_ _i̷̗͝p̷̗H̵̭,̵͍̀ ̸̖͝ ̶͙̓è̶͕ ̴͙̕l̸̬̆l̸͑ͅd̶̹̅w̷͉̐a̶̛̲m̸̬͠r̴̛̼ ̵̲͂g̷̞̒ä̴̼́ ̷͕̽n̶̛̘f̴̭̄n̸͙͊k̶͙̍b̶̜̽i̷̮͝e̴̟͝s̷̥̊ǫ̵̛ẻ̷͖ř̴͕_ _i̸̧̇_ _s̶̛͓_ _ơ̸̰_ _s̶͕͆ó̴̠_ _, but he's been aggressive lately. Not to mention, his memory loss is getting worse. I'm afraid of those two elements mixing, resulting in an attack. I'm requesting a team of defense to be stationed at the lab to protect both the experiment and the lab workers._

_I'll continue in the next report. Thank you for your time._

**_Project T.O.M. Report eight._  
**

_Why haven't you sent the team yet? You're endangering everybody in this lab and, possibly, everybody outside. This boy is supposed to be our last hope, yet you're not even protecting him,_ ȩ̶̑xr̴̢̛̮͗̿̉͜r̸̙̗̦̙̐do̸̢̯̖͎̔̏͋̿ḧ̷̖̞́̈́̐̔͘cp̶͕̟̯̘̃͒̈́h̷̩͚̒̈͠gc̶͈͈̦̿͗ͅt̷͇͆̍͘i̶͉͚̅̎͂͒s̸̡͍͚̪̒̀̍̉. _Where's your soul?_

_Listen, sir. As far as we know, he's l̴̹͒e̴͉͆̇̉e̷̦̣͜͝c̸̖͔̅̽̃ ̶̳͇͓̌̋̈́ủ̷̼ͅs̴̢̧͈̅p̴̡̖̏͝t̸̗̋̊̂ỏ̸̯͜m̶̘̌̓y̷͙͆̃t̷͈̲̞̊̄̅ ̶̡̳̍̑u̴̟͑̾ ̸̡̖͑̎ī̸̺͕͇̕r̶̲̳̪͘ơ̵̦̍͝n̸̗͆ṫ̷͍͗l̵̥̆̑̂i̷̞͂̿m̸̥̈́̀͜h̷̨̿̄͝e̷̮̐͋m̴̨̥͍͑̉e̷̩͋̍v̶̪̞͋. If we have just a bit longer, we can fix this. Do not shut this project down, sir. If you do, you'll be killing everybody on this earth._

_I expect you to send soldiers. Thank you for your time._

**_Project T.O.M. Report fourteen._ ** _  
_

_This is an emergency. They've escaped. Send help immediately._

_I hear them outside the room. The project is probably dead now, but god, please save me._

He woke with a start.

A shaky breath escaped him as he looked around. The brightness of the room made him squint, glancing at the white walls and floors. He looked at the mirror in front of him.

He sat on some sort of medical bed. A thin white sheet below him kept the cool metal from seeping into his skin pale skin. Black eyes stared back at him, rustled and messy hair poking out all over. A short, too small medical gown draped over his body, covering him up. 

He racked his brain for information; perhaps a name? His location? Anything?

No. Nothing.

What happened? Why couldn't he remember anything?

Slowly, he slid off the metal bed, looking around once more. Nothing else; just walls and a floor. Nothing other than the bed. Nothing other than _him._

His bare feet pressed against the cool tile below him, but he didn't react. His body temperature seemed to already match the cold floor. He slipped off the metal bed, legs trembling as he did so. He staggered, nearly falling to the floor as he gripped the bed so he could to stay up. A stammering breath escaped him as he slowly stood upright, looking around more.

Confusion made his face twist. Where? Why? _Who?_  
  
He needed to get out of here. 

Letting go of the bed, he stumbled his way to what looked like a door. A metal handle stuck out of the white, padded wall. 

He had to get out of here. He had to leave. He didn't know why. He just _had_ to. 

With that, he grabbed the handle, his grip weak as his fingers shook. He pulled it open and immediately stopped.

The lights in the hall flickered, dim and barely lighting the hall. An abandoned metal table stood in front of him, a scalpel gleaming on top. He looked around the empty halls.

Well. Better safe than sorry. 

He snatched the scalpel, gripping it tightly. He looked to the right, but he seemed to be at the end of the hall. Guess he had to go left. 

With a deep breath, he started walking. The doors he passed were closed, not that there were many of them. The strength in his legs returned as he held out the scalpel in front of him, slowly walking forward. He kept glancing around as uneasiness built up in his veins. The tile pressed against his feet as he stepped forward. The lights flickered one last time before stopping, leaving only the occasional dim light, spreading darkness through the hall. It seemed to go on forever, making his skin crawl.

Eh... he didn't like this one bit. 

He squinted when he came across a crossway. He slowed down, holding his breath.

Then footsteps.

With a sharp inhale, he took a step back as the footsteps got louder. He tensed and gripped the scalpel harder. His pulse pushed harder and harder, holding his breath once more. The footsteps drew near, loud against the floor.

Then a small woman stepped from the corner, making both of them jump back.

"Jesus Christ!" she shouted, pointing a pistol at him, her hands steady and fingernails painted orange. He stared at her with wide eyes, holding the scalpel in front of him as his chest moved rapidly with each breath.

Then she looked him up and down, eyebrows furrowing .

"Tom?" she said, lowering her weapon. "You're _alive?"_

He-- _Tom?--_ slowly lowered his weapon as well, head tilting. 

"Are you okay? Are you bitten? How are you still alive?" She looked him up and down, taking a step forward again. He quickly stepped back, raising the weapon once more, earning raised eyebrows. "Hey, don't you remember me?" she asked softly, head tilting.

No answer.

She took a deep breath. "Really? I'm Elise. I'm your... friend. I can help you get out of here, okay, Tom?"

Tom slowly relaxed, nodding. Elise gave him a grin, sighing with relief. Still, he didn't speak. 

"Alright, come on. I know where the exit is." She started walking, adjusting her lab coat, and Tom had no choice but to follow her, still holding the scalpel. She started to ramble, but Tom wouldn't complain. "I kept requesting for more security down here." She tightened her ponytail, black hair shining in the dim light. "He never even answered me," she said bitterly as they passed a room, which hand windows looking into it.

A dead body laid inside, making Tom stop. Blood pooled from an open wound on its neck, staining its white lab coat with crimson blood. Then it moved.

He quickly reached for Elise's lab coat, pulling her back so she could look at the moving body. She scowled at the sight. "Don't worry about it. They're not _actually_ alive anymore." She started gripping the handgun once more.

They continued walking.

"...They're zombies," she explained bitterly, eyes narrowed. "We were hosting important research down here, but as I said, we didn't have much security. So when they broke the glass, we couldn't stop them. I managed to escape the lab room via the vents, thank god. I'm happy I memorized the outline of this place."

Tom just nodded. 

"You need to aim for the head. Stab them through the ear, if you can." She glanced down at Tom's small scalpel. "Don't let them scratch or bite you." She gave him a piercing look. "I'm not sure what it'd do to _you."_

Welp.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." She looked around as they neared a corner. "I know how to protect my--"

A yelp escaped her lips as _something_ leaped out from the corner. It looked partly human, but not human enough.

Saliva dripped from its open mouth, lips ripped and dry. It reached for Elise, skin pale and decomposing as it stumbled forward. Part of its skin on its forehead must've been torn off by something sharp, pulling some of the hair from its hairline. Its eyes lacked a pupil, just a cloudy blue. It reached and gripped Elise's shoulders, lurching forward. 

Tom did not like that. He didn't like the ripped shirt, he didn't like the dead eyes, _he didn't like it._

Still, he just stood there as Elise managed to kick it back. She cocked her gun and landed a single shot to its head. The body fell to the floor, thumping and making Tom flinch. Part of its head caved in from the bullet room as blood spilled onto the ground. Tom had to step back before it could touch his feet.

Elise spat at the dead body, wiping sweat off her black skin. "Thanks for the help." She stepped over the body, nose crinkling in disgust. "Come on. We need to get out before the rest of those things get here."

Without a word, Tom followed her, careful not to touch any of the blood. Elise barely spared him a glance as they walked. Tom kept his gaze forward, only for him to stop once more at the sound of something skittering. He looked up to the source of the noise--a vent. He stared at it, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing.

"Tom? Come on!" Elise called suddenly, making Tom jump. His steps were slow at first, keeping his eye on the vent, before he rushed to her side. Perhaps he should tone down his fear.

Elise stopped talking as they walked. Tom couldn't help but hate the silence--every new noise made him flinch, yet Elise didn't seem to care. She kept walking, her head held high, quite the opposite from Tom's demeanor. 

"...We were just trying to get a cure, or at least a vaccine, for the zombie virus," she said, face softening.

He tilted his head. 

"People were calling us cruel." She cleared her throat. "For our work down here. I-I get it, of course, but we just wanted to help."

Still no response.

"We didn't _want_ to kill them, ya know?" She looked down at her gun, eyes lowering. "We tried so hard to keep them alive. They were supposed to be special and help give us a cure. They... died, though. We... _killed_ them and for _nothing,_ " she spat, hands clenching.

Tom blinked. 

"Here, I..." Elise paused and stopped walking, causing Tom to stop as well. She dug through her pockets before pulling out a pen, reaching over and grabbing Tom's arm. "If I don't get out of here, _you_ still need to get out." She wrote something on his skin. "This is where you need to go. Do you understand?" She looked up at him with intensity, eyes wide.

Tom nodded, opening his mouth to--

_"Put your hands up!"_

Elise dropped her pen as Tom jumped, whipping his head to the source. 

Three people pointed rather large guns at them, making Tom gulp. They all wore armor-plated black suits, only their heads exposed. One black guy, an Asian chick, and a white chick. Tom stepped back and awkwardly put his hands up, Elise doing the same.

"Put the gun down," the Asian chick hissed as she jutted her heavy-looking machine gun toward them, and Elise quickly bent down and put her pistol on the floor before putting her hands back up. "Who are you?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"I'm Elise, the head scientist," she rushed out, before glancing at Tom. "And this is Tom."

The guy slowly lowered his shotgun. "The project? Is he bitten?"

Elise relaxed as she shook her head. "No. He's perfectly fine." She looked over at him once more as the three armed people shared a glance.

The white girl nodded after a moment, lowering her gun. "I'm Lauraine. He's Lamech, and she's Nanami." Lamech waved as Nanami just nodded at them. "We're the evacuation team. We can get you out."

A scoff escaped Elise's lips, making Tom blink. "Yeah? Who sent you?" she asked as Tom finally lowered his hands. He couldn't help but wonder why she changed her attitude so suddenly.

"We're here to save you," Nanami reminded, adjusting one of her twin buns. How the hell did she hold that huge gun with just one hand? "No need to get so question-y."

Lauraine sighed as she reached up and slapped the back of Nanami's head, her other hand gripping a sniper rifle. "We were sent by the military. We were ordered to try and evacuate any survivors, but most importantly, we needed to get the project." She nodded at Tom.

With a sigh, Elise nodded. "Alright, that sounds fair. I was heading toward the back elevator. Do you guys have a different escape route?"

"No." Lamech shook his head. "That's how we came in, actually, and it's the best way to get out."

Elise nodded in agreement. "How long have you guys been in here?"

Tom heard another skittering noise, distracting him from the conversation. He looked up and around as something skittered, yet he couldn't determine where it came from--just that it seemed quiet. His eyes flickered to the end of the hallway. Perhaps something followed them.

Tom hurriedly grip Elise's shoulder, shaking it. 

"Tom? What's--?"

He put his fingers to his lips, making her stop talking before he pointed at the hallway. They stayed quiet, watching the opening, but nothing happened. Elise let out a soft sigh and shook her head.

"You're letting your imagination get to you," she scolded as she turned back to the three soldiers. "Did you find any other survivors?"

Nanami shook her head. "Just you two." 

A sigh escaped Elise's lips. "Then we should get going." She leaned down and picked up her gun. _"Now_." She pushed passed the soldiers, and Tom hurriedly followed her. The soldiers spared a quick glance.

"I wish we brought some extra clothes for the project," Lamech joked as they started to follow the two of them. 

"I dunno, I'm waiting to see a glimpse of his ass," Lauraine joked back, making Nanami sigh in disappointment. 

The silence resumed once more as they walked, and Tom couldn't help but be in high alert. He glanced around as they walked, shoes clicking against the floor. 

"Wait... does anyone smell that?" Lamech asked, stopping. The rest of them stopped as well, pausing.

Elise's breath stuttered. "Is that _smoke?"_ She looked at them with wide eyes.

"Where is it coming from?" Lauraine asked, running her hand through her short blonde hair. 

Everyone shared a glance.

A loud boom made Lamech yelp and the rest of them jump up and flinch. Tom pressed his hands over his ears, careful not to cut himself with his scalpel. Smoke started to leak out from the crossway ahead of them, making Nanami let out a groan.

"That was where we were supposed to go!" she hissed out, tapping her gloved hand against her thigh. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now?" She looked at Lamech and Lauraine, who shared an awkward glance. 

"Is there another way to the elevator?" Lauraine asked, looking over at Elise.

"Of course there is. Do you think the architects were fucking stupid?" she asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "There's another hallway that leads to the elevator. Come on."

She turned around and let out a yelp, making everyone whip their heads around. 

A zombie shambled over to them. It lacked an arm, sending blood dripping to the floor every time it moved. Its jaw hung open, teeth and body rotting. Tom scrunched up his nose at the smell of the dead body, taking a step back. He hated zombies already. 

A gunshot rang out through the hallway, making Tom jump back and put his hands over his ears once again. The bullet went into the zombie's skull, sending blood and brain matter flying through the air, the body falling to the ground. 

"Nice shot," Nanami said, elbowing Lamech playfully. Elise, on the other hand, let out a curse.

"Come on, we've got to go!" she hissed out, beginning to rush down the hallway. "Why is that gun so damn loud?"

Lamech shrugged. "I killed it, didn't I?" he asked as they all walked down the hallway, pace quick.

With a shake of her head, Elise sighed. "What part of the military are you guys?"

"We're in the Special Forces," Nanami said, occasionally looking behind her. "I'm a senior officer of SZS."

Tom gave her a confused look, eyebrows raising.

"Special Zombie Segment," Lauraine explained, shrugging. "They put it into force after this whole zombie apocalypse thing started. We're well-versed in quarantine, rescue missions, and killing zombies." She shot Tom a grin. "I could teach you a thing or two."

"Nonsense," Elise quickly jumped in, shaking her head. "He's heading to a lab the moment we get out of here. We're too close to a vaccine to get distracted."

Tom looked between the two of them as Lauraine scoffed. "It wouldn't hurt to teach him how to defend himself."

"Drop it, Lauraine," Nanami ordered, making Lauraine scoff and roll her eyes. 

They continued on in silence.

Tom continued to look around as they walked, impatiently tapping his fingers against his leg. He wished they would continue to talk, fill the silence with _something._ Tom hated the silence, he hated the way he couldn't focus on their footsteps or their breaths. Just the silence.

A sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't wait to get out of here. He _just wanted--_

_"Nanami! Nanami, are you there?"_

Nanami jumped at the loud noise, hand scrambling to grab her walkie-talkie from a side strap. She pulled it out, holding it close to her lips. "What's up, sir?" she asked as they walked. Tom tilted his head back, watching her.

 _"We've been trying to reach you for fifteen minutes!"_ the voice cackled, making Tom raise an eyebrow. _"He fucking changed the plan."_

 _"What?"_ Nanami said, followed by a loud curse. "What did he do?"

_"He's shutting off the power in forty-five minutes. You guys need to get out of there!"_

Tom tilted his head. Who the hell was 'he?' 

Nanami cursed even louder. "Copy that." She put her walkie-talkie back. 

"Why the hell would he shut the power off?" Lamech asked, bewildered as Nanami picked up the pace.

"I don't know," Nanami admitted, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Elise, can we get there in forty-five minutes?"

Elise, again, gave her a look. "Of course we can. Unless you guys keep walking like turtles." She looked in front of her, gripping her gun quite tightly. She shot them one last look.

Again, they went silent, walking faster.

The lights flickered once more overhead, making Tom look up. He hated this. 

"Tom? Are you alright?" Lamech asked suddenly, making Tom blink and look over at him. He tilted his head and nodded. 

Lamech pursed his lips.

"Can you... talk?" he asked, but Tom didn't see a point in responding.

"Leave him alone," Elise snapped as Tom blinked. He didn't have a problem with Lamech speaking to him, yet apparently Elise did.

Whoops.

The end of the hallway came into sight, making Tom tilt his head. A large door sat in the wall, metal and bolted. 

"The hell is that?" Nanami asked, perking an eyebrow at the sight. The ceiling light in front of the door flickered one last time before going out.

"Well, _that's_ not creepy at all," Lamech mumbled as Elise went through her pocket, pulling out a ring of keys. 

Elise went through the keys before getting a silver one, gripping it tightly before glancing at them. "Get your guns ready. This is where we... keep some of the other projects." She put the key into the hole as the three soldiers shared a look. 

The door opened.

Tom honestly expected something to jump out at them, but the sight itself spooked him anyway. The lights were ripped from the ceiling, wires hanging and sparking. Elise slowly crept inside, holding the gun in front of her. 

He awkwardly gripped his scalpel.

A line of weird boxes sat in front of them, taller than all of them. Tom counted four of those boxes, which were hard to differentiate due to their black color. Tom slowed down, letting the three soldiers pass him as they crept forward.

Elise, who led the line, gagged once she passed the boxes, looking to the side. Tom stood on the tips of his toes to try and see pass Lamech. Eventually, the man moved out of his way to spew his contents on the floor. Tom just blinked at the sight.

Glass spilled all over the tile floor, covered in blood and guts. Three deformed dead bodies laid on the floor. One head had been ripped from its body, pitch white eyes staring at them as blood dripped from its neck. Another body had arms that were way too long, claws tilted forward with blood trailing down its jaw. 

"Elise... what the fuck?" Nanami managed, hand over her mouth as she looked at the scene. A large intestine fell from one of the bodies, its pitch black stomach ripped open and spilling its internal organs. 

"Those don't look like normal dead bodies," Lauraine said, eyes wide. She stayed behind Nanami, standing completely still.

"They're not," Elise muttered darkly, eyes closing. "These are the original projects."

Nanami raised an eyebrow. "Original projects?"

"Originally, we were just testing on people who... _fought_ against the virus. People who didn't turn into zombies right away. We thought that, maybe, if we could amplify what let them fight the disease, we could turn that into a vaccine." She let out a sigh, eyes drooping. "Our testing just... destroyed them. Project one constantly got sick. She vomited and coughed all the time. We were afraid she'd infect everyone else. Then her hair started falling out, and she started walking on all fours. We... couldn't kill her. We told them she died, but she didn't." Elise looked away. 

"And you _kept experimenting?_ After seeing that side effect?" Lamech spat, making Tom jump and turn to look at him. The man had crept up behind him, listening in on the first conversation.

Elise gripped her gun tighter. "We thought we could get it right the next time. We didn't. Project two became almost catatonic. His limbs grew until he was about... eight feet tall? However, he was friendly whenever he was responsive. Though, that wasn't often." She let out a sad laugh. "Project three started decomposing. She was still alive, and we did what we could to prevent it. We couldn't, though. Project four..."

"Project _four?"_ Nanami repeated sharply, glancing over the three dead bodies.

She nodded. "Project four became violent." She let out a shaky breath. "Evidently, _very_ violent."

"How did it get loose?" Lauraine asked quietly, taking a step back. 

"We had somebody check hourly to make sure it didn't escape." She gave Lauraine a shaky shrug. "With everyone dead, no one... could." Lauraine stepped back, reaching up and biting her nail. "I assume that's why he ordered them to shut off the power. He can't have it escaping." She cast her gaze to the side.

Shaking her head, Lauraine took another step back. She turned to the side, inspecting the room. "We gotta get the hell out of here." She gripped her gun tightly as she rushed to the other metal door.

"Wait, don't just--!"

Too late. Lauraine swung the door open, and a perfectly average zombie came at her.

Huh. How anti-climatic. 

Lamech and Nanami's guns flew up, pointed at the zombie and Lauraine. Tom quickly put his hands over his ears as Lauraine dropped to the ground, allowing Nanami to spray bullets at the zombie with the machine gun. It fell to the ground, so Nanami lowered her gun as Lamech walked closer, gripping his shotgun tightly. He sent a single bullet through its head, splattering blood and brain matter all over the floor.

Dramatic.

"Oh, no," Elise whispered as Lamech helped Lauraine up.

He gave her a grin. "You calmed down, sweetheart?" he teased lightly as she shot him a glare.

"Bite me, Lamech," she spat as she hiked her gun over her shoulder. "Can we just get outta here now?"

Elise pinched the bridge of her nose. "God, you fucking idiots. You just alerted half the crew members! They know where we are now!"

A groan escaped Nanami's lips. "Let's get going while we still can, then," she said, shaking her head as she pushed passed Lamech and Lauraine. Elise opened her mouth to protest but got interrupted by Nanami speaking once more. "We're gonna run out of time if we're this slow." She walked out, machine gun pointed forward.

"But--"

"Get your guns ready," Nanami ordered as everyone followed her, Elise trailing in the back. "We might've attracted zombies." She scoffed, boots clicking against the tile floor.

"Okay, but--"

"How many people worked here in the first place? Surely there can't be _that_ many Z's here," Lamech commented, glancing at the white walls of the hallway. 

Nanami glanced back at them. "Elise?" she prompted, head tilting.

"I think around two hundred in total." She let out a sigh. "Now, like I was _trying_ to say, I'm not sure if we should _go this way."_

Lauraine's eyebrow raised, hands in her pockets. "How come?"

"This is where the emergency room is." Elise scowled. "If there are people safe in the emergency room, great. _However,_ it's more than likely that everyone got bitten on their way here, or the emergency room got broken into. We didn't exactly have the best security measures here."

"No shit," Nanami mumbled under her breath.

"Meaning, that fucking _gunshot_ probably alerted all the zombies down here. Considering how empty the west wing was, there's probably plenty in this wing." Elise shook her head.

Lauraine glanced over at her. "But don't you want to see if there's any survivors?"

"No. The only thing that matters is Tom." Elise glanced over at him, making him blink. He'd just been following along the conversation, watching the four of them. 

The three soldiers shared a glance before Nanami spoke up. "What way are we supposed go, then?" She blinked at Elise. 

Elise opened her mouth to respond, only to look away. "This _is_ the only way."  
  
"Whoops." Lamech shrugged, but he gripped his gun a little tighter.

They went silent, shoes clicking against the floor. 

Tom glanced over the walls and the occasional door. Pipes hung overhead, pressed against the wall. Some blood smeared against the wall, making Tom swallow. A light above them swayed, a cord ripped from the ceiling. Tom's fingers flexed. The hell happened here?

"The emergency room is at the end of the hall," Elise murmured, her voice quiet. "I think the door is open. I can't... tell." She squinted.

Nanami shot her a look. "We're checking if there's survivors."

Elise's lip curled.

They continued in a tense silence.

God, Tom wished they would talk more. 

Finally, they arrived to the door. Its red paint chipped, a big metal bar as its handle. Nanami grabbed it and swung the door open.

Nothing.

"What the hell...?" Elise mumbled, taking a step forward.

So much for being against looking for survivors.

"Keep the door open," Elise warned. "It'll lock once it closes." That made Lamech blink and stay back as the rest of them headed farther inside. 

The room itself seemed relatively empty. There were two closed doors, smeared with blood. No bodies laid on the floor, but blood splattered against the white tile. 

Lamech looked around, occasionally looking back to check behind him as the group explored the room. His eyebrow twitched. "...How did the other entryway explode?" he asked suddenly, making Elise stiffen.

"Gas line, probably." She shrugged.

"That's some convenient timing," Nanami pointed out as she crouched down next to the blood. Her nose crinkled. "The blood is already coagulated. So you were right, Elise. Looks like the Z's got here before we did."

Elise snorted. "I know. My coworkers were far too empathetic for this job."

The statement made the rest of them go quiet as Tom just walked around the room. He stopped in front of one of the two doors before looking back at Elise. Even if the door lacked the metal reinforcements the entrance had, someone could've hidden here.

She caught his gaze and stood up. "What's wrong, Tom?"

Nanami looked up as well, standing to join him as he motioned to the door. She reached out to the handle as Lauraine stood back. Hesitation took her over for a moment, and she just stood there.

Then she swung the door open.

Three dead bodies. Nanami stumbled back at the horrific sight. 

One of the dead bodies stood out from the rest. Perhaps she fought the hardest in her last moments. Her chest had been slashed open, the cut itself ragged and mixing skin and cloth from her lab coat and shirt. Sharp, unidentifiable marks dug into her neck, dark blood staining the holes. She lacked one of her eyelids, the dead blue eye staring at them, black slime surrounding it. Bone poked through her right arm, bloody and snapped in half. Her mouth hung open, her jaw and bottom lip skinned right off her body.

The other dead bodies didn't seem to have nearly as much wounds. Their eyes closed as though they accepted their fates when it came. They only had a gash on their necks, bleeding out from it.

Tom faintly heard the noise of gagging, too distracted by the dead bodies to care.

Elise inevitably pulled him away and out of it, making him blink as she glared at him. "Don't get too close. You don't know if they're Z's."

He shrugged.

"If they were killed by Z's, why weren't they eaten?" Nanami asked suddenly, glancing at the scene again as Lauraine crouched down, away from them. "They're driven by hunger. Why would it change now?"

"I don't know," Elise admitted before glancing at the other door. "Wonder what's behind door number two."

Nanami glared at her, only to sigh. "Looks like it's already open a bit," she pointed out. "Lauraine, c'mere. I want your gun ready."

With a sniffle, Lauraine nodded and stood up. She practically stumbled her way to Nanami, hoisting her gun up and pointing it at the door. Once more, she pulled open the door, regretting it even more than the other door.

The light seemed to stray from the closet door. Tom couldn't see the outline of the creature. Just its eyes.

They didn't seem to have eyelids, much too wide for that to be possible. A shiver shot up Tom's spine at the sight, and he took a step back. Its eyes glowed in the dark.

Nanami shut the door.

"What... what the fuck?" Lauraine stammered, eyes wide. "Its eyes. Why were its eyes...?"

"We need to get out of here," Nanami mumbled, taking a few steps back. "Slowly." 

The noise of a slow, long scrape against the closet door filled the room as Tom started shaking. They began to creep backwards, Elise grabbing onto Tom. 

A creak filled the room as the door slowly opened. A disgusting, rotting head popped through, its eyes wide and staring at them. Tom's theory proved to be correct; dried blood sat around its eyes, lacking eyelids. The thing's jaw unhinged, opening and showing its rotting teeth.

They moved closer to the door as it stepped out, arms distortedly long and knotted. It walked on all fours, drool dripping from its open mouth.

"Is... is that...?"

"Project four," Elise breathed out as it slowly stood on its legs. It stood taller than any of them, head tilting as it reached its hand up. 

Then it punched out the light, and they were thrown into the darkness. 

Lauraine let out a scream as Tom's heart picked up its pace. He could only tell its location due to its glowing eyes, and that definitely didn't fucking help the terror ripping through him.

It moved, faster than Tom would've expected. Nanami jumped out of the way as it silently leapt towards Lauraine, and time seemed to slow.

Lamech rammed into Lauraine, knocking her to the ground as the door shut with a bang. Project four slammed against the wall behind her, silent as ever. Lamech whispered something into Lauraine's ear, and they slowly began to stand and back up.

"...We can't get out. Lamech closed the door." Elise covered her mouth with her hand as Lamech and Lauraine joined them.

"There _has_ to be another way out," Nanami pointed out as she kept her eyes on the creature. It slowly lifted itself up before making its way up the wall. Tom swallowed.

Lauraine brushed passed him as she backed against the wall. "Since when could it climb the _fucking walls?"_ she spat out, trying to keep her hyperventilating down to a minimum. She obviously didn't have practice with it, her breaths coming quick and fast.

"Who knows at this point," Nanami whispered as its eyes disappeared. She gripped her gun. "Where did it go?"

Tom didn't bother paying attention. His eyes started to adjust to the dark, but only barely. The creature didn't stand out from the walls and ceiling, so he couldn't spot it, but all he needed was another way out. 

_The vent._

He moved forward, ignoring the tug on his hand from Elise. He pulled out of her grip as he made his way to the vent. His steps proved to be slow and quiet, so Elise awkwardly followed him. 

Nanami held up her gun, ready to shoot it if it came out.

Once Tom got under the vent, he looked at the three soldiers and pointed up to the vent.

Something wet dripped onto his finger, so Tom quickly pulled it back down to wipe it off. Then his eyes widened.

He looked up.

Its eyes stared right back at him, blocking the vent completely.

Uh-oh.

"Get down!" Nanami yelled, so Tom dropped to his knees as she sprayed bullets at the creature. Every rapid fire shot made him flinch, eyes squeezed shut. It disappeared once more but not without a hiss of pain, scrambling away.

Elise helped Tom up as he motioned to the vent above him. She looked up as the three soldiers behind them held their guns up, desperately looking for project four.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" Elise whispered to herself as she motioned them to get their asses over here. They shared a look but did as she said.

Tom pointed at Lamech before patting his shoulders, head titling. The ceiling itself stood taller than all of them, but being stacked together could get them inside.

Elise took a deep breath before whispering to Lamech. Lamech's eyes widened.

_A way out._

Lamech got under the vent, crouching down so Elise could get on him. She wobbled as he grabbed her feet, trying to keep steady as she stood on top of him. Slowly, he got up until she could reach the vent. 

She gripped it tightly, trying to pull it off. She kept glancing around.

It could come after her any second, and she would be helpless to save herself.

The noise of something skittering made her tense and pull harder. 

It popped off, almost resulting in her falling before she could grip the edge and pull herself up. She disappeared inside the vent before poking her head out. "Tom next," she ordered, making Tom blink and glance around.

Why hadn't it struck again?

However, he couldn't disobey. Lamech grabbed him without his consent and hauled him upward, Elise grabbed his arms. Together, they got him into the vent, Elise backing up to make more room. 

Lamech didn't bother asking for help. He casually jumped up and gripped the edge of the vent, which practically bent from his weight. He pulled himself up, sending Tom and Elise further back. Surprise filled him at the sight of Lamech even managing to fit. The vent squeezed against him, but he managed to turn around.

With that, he lowered his arms to help the next person.

Nanami came up next. She had no problem squeezing through the tight space, scrambling up and into the vent. She went onto the other side to give room to Lamech. "We gotta hurry," she whispered as Lamech did the same thing as before.

Lauraine gripped his hands with her own. She glanced up at him, eyes wide with fear as he lifted her up.

Something skittered again.

She screamed, and Tom's stomach dropped.

"Lauraine!" Nanami yelled, reaching down to help pull her. Lauraine kicked her legs as its eyes stared up at them, taunting them. Its gnarled hands grabbed onto Lauraine's waist, nearly knocking her gun out of its cover. 

"Help me! _God, help me!"_ It tugged Lauraine down more, almost sending Nanami down with it. 

"I got you. It's okay, Lauraine, I got you!" 

Tom just watched in horror.

Once it realized they weren't going to let Lauraine go, its head tilted, eyes wide and glowing. 

Then it scrambled up her body like a spider and dug its teeth into her neck. She let out a scream as blood squirted, hitting the creature's face. Shaking her rapidly, it raked its claws against her side. She kicked and fought back, but it clung onto her.

"You have to let her go!" Elise yelled over the noise. 

"No, no, please don't! Help me!" Tears streamed down her face, but project four didn't bother to let up. 

"It will kill _all_ of us if you don't let her go! We need to get the project to safety!"

Nanami glanced at Tom's fear-stricken face, eyes wide. She looked down at Lauraine.

Lamech let go first, sending Nanami forward. She managed to catch herself on the other side. Lauraine scrambled to grab her gun with her free hand as it tugged on her.

It ripped her out of Nanami's hands, earning another scream. Gunshots echoed through the room, but Lauraine's screaming didn't let up.

 _"Lauraine!"_ Nanami shouted, leaning to go back in for her, only for Lamech to grab her. He wrestled her over to their side despite her protests.

"We need to go! Come on," Elise hissed, turning herself around and moving. "We can get close to the elevator this way."

Nanami swallowed as she tried to ignore her friend's screams, Lamech and Tom turning.

They all followed Elise, tears collected in Nanami's eyes.

Nobody said anything. Sorrow hung in the air. The screams died off, as did the gunshots.

Tom wanted to puke. 

Every few seconds, Nanami looked back. She wanted nothing more than to see Lauraine behind them, desperately trying to catch up. She looked back ahead, eyes flickering to Tom. Her fists clenched, and her teeth gritted.

Still, she said nothing. 

"We gotta get out here," Elise called as she stopped. "The vent gets too skinny after this opening." With that, Elise moved around so she could hit at the vent opening with her shoe. It took a couple of slams, but it popped off without any other trouble. 

"Let me go first," Lamech said randomly, making Elise turn and look at him. "I have the better gun," he explained quickly, avoiding Elise's gaze.

A sigh escaped her lips. "Fine. Good luck." She shot him a smile as she moved over the opening, passing it so he could get through.

He pulled himself forward, leaning to grip the side of the vent. He lowered himself down before dropping, crouching to soften his fall. He kicked the vent cover away as he looked around, gun unsheathed. 

The room didn't have the open space like the emergency room did. He took a step forward, checking for any hiding Z's. 

Nothing.

He glanced around for any extra doors zombies could be hiding in. None. The room appeared to be a storage room of some sort. Bottled water sat on shelves, followed by cans of soup and V8.

Who knew V8 had such a long shelf life.

He shook his head before looking back up, lowering his gun. "It's clear!" he called, only to look around once more. He didn't want something like Lauraine's death to happen again.

Elise lowered herself down next, and she helped Tom get down as well.

If they were going to keep traveling like this, he needed to get something more than the fucking medical gown. 

Nanami, of course, jumped down next. She glanced back up at the vent. "Do you think it could follow us?" she asked quietly, voice shaking.

"No." Elise shook her head. "It looked way too big for it to travel through the vents." She glanced over at Tom. "Are you okay?"

He just nodded.

"Where are we?" Lamech asked, head tilting. "Some kind of storage room?"

"This is where this wing could get food and water. Not all of them were allowed to go home and pack up lunch at the end of the day." Elise shrugged.

Nanami cleared her throat to catch their attention. "We only have twenty minutes left." She glanced down at her radio. "We should probably get going."

With a nod of agreement, Elise opened the door. Contrary to their luck so far, the coast seemed to be clear.

A sigh of relief escaped Lamech's lips. "How far are we to the elevator? We have to be close, don't we?" He exited the room, everyone else close behind him.

Except Lauraine.

Nanami looked down.

"We're close," Elise explained as she started walking, shoes clicking and echoing against the walls of the hallway. "Just two more turns."

They went silent.

Nanami and Lamech seemed to be in high alert. Lamech pointed his gun at every passing door while Nanami looked behind them quite a bit. 

"What's going to happen once we get out of here?" Elise asked suddenly, glancing back at Nanami.

She shrugged. "There's more soldiers at the entrance of the building. They got a truck ready for the _project_." She spat out the last word.

Tom bristled. 

"I'm sure they'd like their head scientist back, too," she added, ignoring Tom's glare.

Elise didn't respond, making Nanami perk her eyebrows.

"What? Do you disagree?" she asked, leaning forward a bit. Anything to get her mind off of Lauraine and her screams.

A laugh escaped her lips. "I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to get rid of me." She reached her hand up and tightened her ponytail.

Nanami's eyebrows furrowed. "Why? What's the beef between you two?"

"Stay in your lane, Nanami. That's private business not meant for a soldier." Elise shoved her hands in her pockets, turning her attention back to the front.

An offended snort left Nanami, and Tom couldn't help the smug smile on his lips.

Whoops. 

With that, they had their first turn.

Of course, their bad luck came back.

Zombies littered the hallway, grunting and groaning as they shambled around each other. Occasionally, they bumped into one another, earning nothing more than a light growl. 

Tom tilted his head at the sight as Elise pulled him back.

"Did they see us?" Lamech whispered, finger on the trigger. 

Elise shook her head. "I don't think so. How are we supposed to get passed them?" She reached up and bit her nail. "I don't suppose the vents are an option now. They're too small." She shook her head, biting her nail harder.

Nanami looked up at the vent cover. "You're right. I doubt Lamech, or even Tom, could get through."

Tom shot her a look.

"Okay, but what about those things?" Lamech asked, pointing up. Tom followed his finger.

Large pipes were hung by a rope. It wrapped around the hallway. down to where they needed to go. Nanami raised an eyebrow. "What are they used for?"

"It was a makeshift storage place for some of the scientists. We weren't allowed to bring in boxes, and nobody allowed construction workers in here. So they made this, and it wraps around the whole wing." Elise cracked knuckles. "Did you not see it when we walked in?"

Nanami shook her head. "Guess I wasn't looking up." She bit her lip. "It doesn't look very stable."

Elise's eyes darkened as she walked over to the edge of the pipes. "It isn't," she answered honestly before jumping up, gripping the edges of them. She barely managed to pull herself onto the pipes, which wobbled under her. "But, it'll have to do." She reached her hands down.

Tom took them, allowing her to pull him up. His hand slipped between a crack of one of the pipes, but he caught himself and quickly pulled it back. Tom looked at the edge; his hand could easily slip on it and cause him to fall. The lack of room between him and the impending fall made him twitch.

"I assume the two of you can get up here on your own?" Elise asked as she crawled passed Tom. She definitely didn't trust the idea of Tom being in the front. 

With a twitch of her eyebrow, Nanami jumped up, just barely catching the pipes. She pulled herself up, and Lamech came next. He nearly caught his leg on one of the thin, red ropes, just barely missing it and ruining the whole plan.

Nanami glanced down at the floor, eyebrows furrowing. "Is it high enough that the Z's can't reach us?" she asked worriedly as Elise started moving forward. Tom's arm brushed against one of the many bags on top of the pipes. 

"The Z's can't jump, so yes. We'll be fine." Her eyes flickered to the small, thin ropes holding up the pipes together. Once they passed a rope, they were on a different set of pipes. 

She couldn't help but hold her breath. No other path would lead them to the elevator--not if they didn't want to bust down some walls.

Silence drew over them. Nobody had anything to say.

Nanami glanced at Tom. She gritted her teeth, but the mission ran through her mind.

Finally, they turned the corner, and Tom bit his lip. The zombies didn't notice them at first as they travelled slowly. His hands balled into fists. 

It didn't take long until one of the zombies noticed them.

It let out a snarl, catching the other zombies' attention. Slowly, they stumbled to the pipes and reached up, attempting to claw at the pipes. Tom's breath got caught in his throat as a tall one came by.

"Go!" Elise hissed, moving faster than before. The zombies just followed them, of course, yet even the tall one couldn't climb on to it. 

A breath escaped Tom's lips. 

"This was the dumbest idea for storage ever created!" Nanami hissed suddenly. "You could've easily brought in boxes or some shit. Why did you make this shit?" she asked as the pipes seemed to wobble under her.

Elise's lip curled. "It was supposed to be a fun for project for us, and we didn't _have_ boxes to bring in. Just a shit ton of pipes laying around. What's your deal?"

"It's just...!" Nanami let out a huff, but she didn't bother to finish her sentence. Her eyes flickered to the side.

"We did what we could with the materials we had--" 

Elise let out a yelp as something bumped against the bottom of the pipes, causing it to shake. She froze, eyes wide.

It bumped against the pipes again.

"Come on, we need to hurry." A stuttering breath left Elise as she started to hurry forward at a much faster pace than before. Tom rushed after her, but he couldn't stop his thoughts as he tried to see over her.

What would they do once they reached the end?

He swallowed.

Once again, something hit the bottom of the pipes. A yelp escaped Nanami as her hand slipped, only for Lamech to rush and grab her.

"You okay?" he asked as she pulled herself back up. 

She nodded, eyebrows twitching as she looked don at the crowd of zombies. "What the hell _is_ that?"

Tom looked around the crowd of the zombies, eyebrows furrowing. He opened his mouth to say something, but his breath caught in his throat. 

"It's gotta be one of the Z's below us," Lamech guessed, trying to look through the crack of the pipes. Too bad they were tightly compacted and impossible to see through.

Elise nodded in agreement. "Stick close together, then. If one of us falls, we need to be able grab 'em." She glanced back at them. Tom averted his eyes, not that she could tell.

The pipes shook again, making them all wobble. A shot of anxiety coursed its way through Tom's veins, so he quickly gripped the side. 

"How fucking _tall_ is it?" Lamech hissed, hitting the pipes back with his fists. In response, they rattled.

"Aye!" Nanami reached back and kicked him, boot colliding with his shoulder. "Don't be fucking with those things."

Lamech let out a laugh. "Sorry."

With a sigh, Elise glanced back at them. "We're almost there. Come on." She let out another sigh. "I had this real tall coworker named Jason. Might be him.”

It slammed against the pipes once more, causing Lamech to yelp and nearly slip. He reached up and grabbed one of the ropes to hold himself still. Nanami glanced back, eyes wide. "You okay?"

"I... I think we're moving too slowl-- _y!"_ Lamech's voice became higher as the pipes rattled more. 

_"Lamech!_ Hurry up!" Nanami hissed, stopped as she watched him.

Lamech's chest moved rapidly as he looked behind him. It banged again, and he started shaking. "N-Nanami, the pipes... the pipes...!"

"Come _on!"_ Nanami turned herself around, brushing against the dusty wall. "Lamech!" She reached to grab him.

The sound of the pipes clanging together set Tom's heart plummeting. Lamech's body lifted with the pipes, and he turned to look at them.

Nanami reached for him as the pipes fell from the hold of the ropes. 

Her fingers brushed against his shoulder.

He fell.

 _"No!"_ Nanami screamed as his back hit the pipes, and the pips hit the floor. They rolled as Nanami finally got a glance at what caused this.

Tall. An eye missing. Taller than any normal person she'd ever seen. It looked up at her.

Then it turned to the screaming Lamech. The zombies crowded around him as he rolled among the pipes, reaching for his gun. 

Gunshots filled the room, almost overpowering the screams. Nanami reached for her gun.

 _"Don't you fucking dare!"_ Elise snapped, forcing Nanami to flinch away. "Leave him. He's a goner, and we need to go."

Nanami hesitated, staring down at Lamech. His skin tore off from the zombies teeth, scratches running down his skin.

She turned. 

_Again._

A coward. 

"Let's go," Elise said, not bothering to look back as she moved forward. Nanami should look back.

She forced herself not to.

It only took about a minute for them to reach the end of the hallway. Elise looked back to see if any of the zombies were still with them.

"We can drop here," Elise ordered, eyes on the zombies. They still crowded over Lamech's body, his screams gone.

They followed her orders, slipping off the pipes. Nanami and Elise dropped quietly. Tom, on the other hand, nearly fell on his landing, only Nanami saving him at the last second. He wobbled, holding his hands out to stable himself.

Nanami couldn't help but scoff. How would somebody like _him_ help save the world? Surely someone with such 'special DNA' would have some actual skills, like knowing how to crouch for a landing.

How stupid.

"We only have five minutes left," Nanami murmured, glancing down at her watch.

Elise shook her head. "Don't worry, the elevator is close. It's at the end of the next hallway." Elise walked quickly, Nanami and Tom close behind. They turned.

The elevator was _right there._ Tom's breath stuttered with excitement. The 

They could finally get _out_ of this place.

With a lot of emotional scarring, of course.

"Let's go," Nanami hissed, pushing them forward. It seemed everybody shared Tom's excitement, as Elise picked up the pace. 

Their hard footsteps bounced against the walls, seemingly echoing around them. Tom's eyes flickered up to the vent as they rushed through the hallway. 

Perhaps he was overreacting, yet...

There were eyes. They glowed as they met his.

He turned to stare at the vent, steps slowing. Elise turned to look at him. Everything seemed to slow. Nanami ran under it.

The vent cover slammed to the floor. An elongated arm snapped outward.

It gripped Nanami's neck, earning a scream of shock.

"Nanami!" Elise yelled, rushing to pull out her gun, but Nanami couldn't respond.

It just snapped her neck. It didn't let her put up a fight. Just a sickening crack, her movements stilling yet her brown eyes still staring wide at Tom.

Tom's stomach dropped.

"How did it... it's too big... I...!" Elise took a panicked step back. "It shouldn't be able to get through the vents!"

Its arm retreated back inside. 

"Go!" Elise hissed, turning and running, yet Tom couldn't keep his eyes off it. He took slow steps back as its head popped out, head tilting as it and Tom made eye contact. 

It slowly pulled itself out, arms gripping the side of the ceiling. Its body contorted, joints popping. Like a spider, it clung to the wall, creeping forward.

 _"Tom! Now!"_ Elise nearly screamed, and that was all Tom needed to bolt, his feet slamming against the ground.

He rushed after Eliza, the thing skittering after him. He didn't dare look back as Elise grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. He nearly tripped, yet he managed to catch himself just in time. 

The elevator stood in front of them, the metal outline gleaming with hope. They had to get there. _They had to get there._

Elise shoved her hand against the button before forcing Tom to drop to the floor with her. The project slammed against the elevator doors, nearly falling on Tom of them before Elise pulled him out of the way. Their breath intermingled for a mere second before Tom scrambled off her, standing and helping her up. The elevator dinged as it opened.

It stood itself up as Elise pulled out her gun. "Tom, get in the elevator!" 

He did as Elise said, rushing into the elevator. Elise shot it, earning a screech as it ducked down. It scurried off into some random room, the doors open just for its convenience. Tom reached to grab Elise, pulling her inside and causing her to stumble.

Yet Elise didn't seem to mind the near fall. She couldn't help but smile. "We... We did it..." Elise let out a breathy laugh as she reached to press one of the buttons. 

Nothing happened. The elevator didn't bother to move, and Tom tensed up.

She gritted her teeth, pressing the button again. It dinged and turned red, making her sigh with relief. The elevator started closing.

Yet...

"It's not... it won't go all the way!" Elise let out a frustrated hiss, walking up to the doors. She gripped the side of them as she glanced through them, looking for the project.

The elevator started going up, albeit incredibly slow. Tom didn't even realize they were moving for a second. 

"...Good enough, I guess." Elise let out a sigh before glancing at Tom, her face softening. "Are you okay?"

Tom hadn't seen her soft like this. Perhaps she had relaxed due to the passing of the danger?

No time to respond, of course. They never had good luck.

The same grotesque hand that Tom wished he hadn't seen so often wrapped itself around Elise's ankle before he could react.

_No._

It gave Elise a sharp tug, sending her to the floor, half her body outside of the elevator. A yelp escaped her as she gripped the sides of it.

"Oh, fuck!" Elise cursed, thrashing around. Her free leg smashed against the project, though it quickly grabbed it. Tom reached down and grabbed her under her shoulders, trying to pull her back inside, eyebrows furrowed in focus.

Elise glanced at Tom's arm, her breath caught in her throat. She knew what she had to do.

"Tom... get to the lab! You have to get to the lab!" She glanced back at the project pulling her down. Then she looked up at the ceiling. She had to decide her fate. Be crushed to eaten.

She had to.

"Let me go." Tom's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "That's an order, Tom. _Let me go."_

Tom didn't do anything for a second, his limbs frozen.

An order.

He needed... he needed to follow orders... 

Why did he need to follow her orders?

He let go. He, too, had no choice.

"Elise!"

She let out a scream, and Tom heard the sound of something snapping followed by her body hitting the floor. A breath escaped him, his eyes widening as he stared at the hallway.

He couldn't... how could he... what? What could he do?

 _It_ popped up, showing its disgusting face to Tom. A rush of anger filled him, and he met its gaze as the elevator slowly went upward.

It seemed to smile at him.

Or perhaps he just imagined its gnarled teeth, lipless yet somehow perked upward.

Once he could no longer see the disgusting beast, he stumbled back into a corner. Slowly, he sunk down, focused on the crack between the elevator doors.

He'd lost his only hope. He had no one now.

He glanced at the writing on his arm.

Even if he didn't have anyone... he had to get there.

There was no other choice.

**Author's Note:**

> hnnrg okay hi  
> this is super different from the main fic i was working on for the past two years (haha whoops),,, it's gon be super serious :)  
> also please, i have something important that happened while i was writing htis it's super important i swear  
> "Nanami finally got a glance at what caused this.  
> Tall. Large. henry the eighth."  
> i spent five minutes laughing at it please  
> quick edit: I’m sorry for any stupid mistakes I finished and posted this at 3am


End file.
